From the 6th Century, a mathematician named Pythagoras heard the hammering of an anvil. He observed that the blacksmith used several hammers in varying sizes and weights. In applying his mathematics skills, he discovered that each pitch from the strikes of different hammers produced simple ratios of each other. Pythagoras was able to divide the pitches accordingly: 1 whole ratio, 1/2, 1/4 and so forth. He later applied this theory to the length of two strings and discovered that a musical tone can be governed by a number as it also creates an interval.

When playing two strings of the same length together, they produce the same pitch. As you shorten one string, leaving the other untouched, they produce two different pitches. The Greeks, divided the string into four parts which gave pitch variations of 1/1 (whole), 3/4, 2/3 and 1/2. Through out the ages, these four pitches were further divided into octaves and 8 more notes creating a full scale - just as you see on the keys of a piano: 1 (Octave), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Octave). Pythagoras was the inventor of harmony. He understood that tuning and pitch relation from note to note produced consonant (pure) sounds and dissonant (impure) sounds.

Psalms 150 says:
 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
       praise him with the harp and lyre,

 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
       praise him with the strings and flute,

Various instruments are used in praising God. They resound in perfect union and harmony; they do not hinder, but help each other. Much like a symphony, one instrument voice is interdependent to another as they produce colors, shades and variations of harmony. The Lord himself is a constant, pure and perfect tone. When are hearts and minds are not in tune with the Lord, we can produce sounds of dissonance. Only the Concert Master can keep our hearts in one accord to His love. Like the hymn writer of "Come Thou Fount" says: "tune my heart to sing Thy grace." The Lord knows our tonal quality, yet He seeks to conduct us in his mercy. In concert with one another, God desires our attitudes to also be in tune.

1 Peter  3:8 tells us:  "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble." May the voices from our fellowship with another and our devotion of the Lord be a pleasing sound to His ear. We truly are the strings of His symphony of joy.

Reflection:
What are the notes in your life that only the Concert Master can tune? Is your love a clanging cymbal or an instrument of His praise?

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